Real Sports with Bryant Gumble, on HBO, has been teasing a story about a nine-year pro-football veteran who will speak about his sexuality for the first time on the Oct. 29 program.
Who is it? Esera Tuaolo, a defensive lineman who played for five pro teams. A native of Hawaii, he played at Oregon State before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1991 ( 35th pick overall ) . He also played for the Panthers, Vikings, Jaguars and the Falcons--who he played with for Super Bowl XXXIII, according to ESPN.com .
Tuaolo tells HBO that a major reason for his 1999 retirement was the frustration with staying in the closet. He had even contemplated suicide, his depression was so great.
A former teammate of Tuaolo's, Sterling Sharpe, told HBO that had he come out during his career, "he would have been eaten alive, and he would have been hated for it."
HBO usually re-runs the Real Sports show several times during the month.